A bid to launch dune buggy tours in the West End is “a different proposal entirely” from a plan to introduce all-terrain vehicle tours through local beauty spots, the Bermuda Tourism Authority said yesterday.

The applicant, Juanita Jones of Bermuda Island Tours & More, said last night that the guided tours, which would cover parts of the East and West Ends, had been planned for four years.

She added: “I’ve owned my tour company for almost 30 years and this is a great idea that my customers put forward.”

Ms Jones said the buggy tours, which the BTA said was a “low-noise, electric-vehicle tour experience that will travel via public roadway in the West End making stops at key sites” will cater to “history buffs and adventure seekers”.

She added that some people “have challenges walking about but still want to go off the roads — these buggies are electric, not gas”.

Ms Jones said some of the Bermuda Off-Road Adventure Tours would involve use of the Railway Trails.

But she stressed that the vehicles were quiet and slow.

Ms Jones said: “We’re not going to be creating a ruckus and the tours are guided. You won’t be getting into a buggy and going off by yourself.”

She added that all of the tours would be guided by certified tourism ambassadors.

The project is now under review but Ms Jones said she hoped to launch “immediately and, as soon as we’re clear, we will be out on the road”.

She added she was not affiliated with the ATV proposal, which sparked opposition from West End residents, farmers and the Bermuda National Trust after it went out for public consultation last month.

Buggy tours planned for West End

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